Diced

by Deany Ray

  “That was so kick-ass!” Marge said. “Alex, what did you do?”

  Celeste smiled at him. “I didn’t know you were so good with computers. First time in my life a cop has helped me out.”

  “Glad to help,” he said. He was talking to all three of us, but looking just at me. His eyes had turned all soft. I looked away and blushed.

  “My sister has this model,” he explained. “This model’s finicky. Sometimes it just needs a little TLC.”

  “That guy will be so happy,” Marge squeaked. “Did we tell you he’s a writer? There’s a novel in that laptop. Could you write down what you did? So we can tell him how we fixed it. I hope he doesn’t tell his friends, and they bring us their computers too.”

  “We can’t thank you enough,” Celeste said. “This has saved our life.”

  He grinned. “Saving lives is what you do when you wear the badge. Of course, I usually don’t do it seated in a diner with a laptop in front of me.”

  Every time I worked a case (all three of my cases!), it always seemed to happen: I’d get in trouble somehow and Alex suddenly was right there to make everything okay. Once, he’d pulled me from an open grave (kind of humiliating, and also, dark and creepy). Then last night, his guys came to the rescue before those creeps could take aim and fire at us. I hated to think about what might have happened if they hadn’t come banging on the door. Mr. X and friends did not appear to be the kind to have mercy on their victims. Shooting – instead of thinking – seemed to be their modus operandi.

  As much as Alex made me mad with his attitude about our work, it felt safe to have him close by. Plus, he’d loosened up on trying to keep us away from all the action. We’d shown him we were good at the work we did. In our own special way.

  I wondered what the future held for us. I’d like to think that I could make it work: spar with him at the crime scenes, then press my lips to his, my body against his when we were off the job. After all, we wanted the same thing: to put the bad guys away.

  “Well, I guess I need to go,” he said, looking down at his takeout bag.

  “Thanks again,” Marge said.

  “Anything for you,” he said, but I was the one he was watching, a small smile on his face.

  We locked eyes for just a second.

  “You know what, Marge?” Celeste said. “I need you to walk up front with me. I’d like to buy a cake, and I’d like your opinion. I can never decide.”

  Marge clasped her hands together. “Oh, lemon pound cake is always nice,” she said. “And I do love a great red velvet.”

  Celeste was already standing. “Let’s don’t decide right here. Let’s see what’s in the case.”

  “A cake to celebrate! Oh, yes. Charlie, you come too.” Marge reached across to grab my hand.

  Celeste tapped her on the shoulder. “Charlie likes surprises. Let’s go, just me and you. We’ll find something nice.”

  When they were gone, Alex and I both smiled, suddenly feeling shy. I wondered if he was remembering the same moment that I was.

  “I guess this case is in the books,” he said. “You impressed me, with the way you tracked Stanley down.”

  “Thanks. That means a lot.”

  He held my hand beneath the table. “You’re pretty and you’re smart. I’ll bet the other girls hated you in school.”

  “Nobody hated me or liked me. I was just kind of there.”

  “That’s hard to believe,” he said in an almost whisper.

  We sat quietly again until he broke the silence. “What’s the story with you, Cooper? Is this your career for keeps?”

  I knew what he was thinking. It wasn’t good for romance: chasing after the same bad guys, getting in each other’s way. He was watching me intently. If he moved his face just one inch closer, we could sneak in a kiss. Instead, we just touched noses and stayed like that for a while.

  “I think I’m in it for the long haul,” I said. Then I smiled at him to lighten up the mood. “Next time someone gets in trouble, they’ll want Charlie Cooper.”

  He softly touched my hair. “I don’t blame them a bit.”

  “How about you?” I asked him. “Are you a cop for life? You could always market your mad skills as a computer genius.”

  The waitress interrupted us. “Can I get you two anything else?”

  “I think we’re good,” Alex said. “I was just about to head out.” Then he nodded at me. “You gonna cause trouble on my next case?”

  “We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” I grinned.

  He stood and kissed my forehead. “I’ll see you around. Stay out of trouble…Robertson.”

  As soon as he paid and was out the door, Marge and Celeste were right there with a chocolate cake. They gazed at me with eager grins, anxious for any news.

  “Well?” Marge squeaked.

  “What’s up?” Celeste asked.

  I wasn’t sure, so I answered with a shrug. “Stay tuned. We’ll wait and see.”

  “But when something happens, don’t keep secrets from us, hon,” Marge said. “You know how I love to hear about a good romance.”

  “Yes, Marge, we know all about it,” Celeste said. Then she turned to me. “Next on the agenda is some chocolate cake at Marge’s house. We can talk about some ideas for scaring up our next case. I’ve stopped counting on the ex, although I plan to call him and be a pain in his ass and hopefully he’ll come through with our next assignment.”

  “Cake sounds good,” I said. “Then we’ve earned some fun. The mall?”

  “Or a nice massage,” Marge said.

  “Naps!” Celeste contributed.

  “Anything,” I said. “As long as no guns are involved. And as long as Deborah isn’t watching me, telling me every single thing that I’m doing wrong.”

  “Good work, team,” Celeste said. “Now let’s get of out here before Jack tells us a joke or someone tells us their laptop’s broken.”

  I caught my father’s eye and waved goodbye.

  “Chocolate cake!” I told the girls. “I can’t wait to have a piece.”

  ***

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